Laser powder fusion repair of Z-notches with nickel based superalloy powder

A method for repairing a worn Z-notch wear surface on a gas turbine engine turbine blade comprised of a substrate of an alloy that comprises, by weight percent, up to about 0.20 carbon, up to about 1.0 manganese, up to about 0.015 sulphur, up to about 1.0 silicon, between about 11.00–14.00 chromium, between about 3.5–4.5 molybdenum, between about 0.25–1.25 titanium, between about 5.5–6.5 aluminum, up to about 5.0 iron, between about 1.0–3.0 Cb and Ta, and remainder nickel, said method comprising:

• digitizing a weld path over the wear surface with a video monitor of a CNC controller;
• generating a laser beam with a Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser;
• discharging an alloy powder comprising by weight percent, up to about 0.20 carbon, up to about 1.0 manganese, up to about 0.015 sulphur, up to about 1.0 silicon, between about 11.00–14.00 chromium, between about 3.5–4.5 molybdenum, between about 0.25–1.25 titanium, between about 5.5–6.5 aluminum, up to about 5.0 iron, between about 1.0–3.0 Cb and Ta, and remainder nickel onto the wear surface through a discharge nozzle with an axial alignment different from the axial alignment of the laser;.
• moving said laser and said alloy discharge nozzle across the wear surface in a stitch pattern to thereby fuse at least one laser clad layer of the alloy powder to the substrate material of the wear surface, wherein the stitch pattern includes a first linear stitch and a second linear stitch, the second linear stitch parallel to, and spaced apart from, the first linear stitch;
• controlling the movement of said laser and said alloy discharge nozzle through a CNC controller using digitized weld path information;
• and
• measuring the depth of said cladding layer.

A method of repairing a wear surface of a low pressure aerojet turbine blade composed of an alloy comprising, by weight percent, up to about 0.20 carbon, up to about 1.0 manganese, up to about 0.015 sulphur, up to about 1.0 silicon, between about 11.00–14.00 chromium, between about 3.5–4.5 molybdenum, between about 0.25–1.25 titanium, between about 5.5–6.5 aluminum, up to about 5.0 iron, between about 1.0–3.0 Cb and Ta, and remainder nickel, said method comprising the sequential steps of:

• moving a YAG laser and an alloy powder discharge nozzle across a wear surface thereby repairing a first area;
• allowing said first area to cool;
• moving the YAG laser and the alloy powder discharge nozzle across a second wear surface area, proximate said first area, thereby repairing said second area;
• allowing said second area to cool;
• repeating the steps of repairing and cooling for additional areas until a total desired area has been repaired.